Leeds has always had it’s fair share of quality hotels and restaurants. However when
Ken McCulloch set his sights on bringing his latest luxury hotel and grill brand to our very own Greek street it changed the game and raised our cities already high bar of standards.

Kindly I was invited by City Dweller to review what the Dakota Deluxe famous bar and grill had to offer. The hotel itself lay in the centre of greek street and you cannot miss its stunning Art Deco style exterior as it dazzles from afar.

Having stayed but not dined at the Dakota before I could not wait for the meal that lay ahead and Saturday night seemed the perfect night to do so. I chose to take my father Ian with me, as a well travelled cultured man I thought he would be the perfect quality control sounding board.

You can book online for up to 4 people but I rang the hotel previously in the week for our reservation. The hotel and restaurant has no parking however it is really easy to park on the surrounding streets nearby after 5pm or in the light multi storey car park and walk down, this is what we chose to do.

Our reservation was at 8pm but we decided to arrive early for a quick drink in the bar. As we entered we were taken aback by how busy it was, absolutely fantastic atmosphere and with a cocktail in hand it was a great start to our night.

The service from the get go was amazing, nothing was too much to ask and there was plenty
of staff on the bar and in the restaurant so waiting around wasn’t a problem. The bar and grill is set one floor below ground and is connected to the bar area by a wide staircase which gives you a great chance to take on the beautiful Art Deco decor. Attention to detail is everything and everywhere you look there is paintings and prints paying homage to stars of the 20s and 30s. I felt very much transported away and ready to dine.

The restaurant is open plan with a lot of leather clad booths which are great for bigger parties or small groups. We were seated and given a few minutes before a drinks order taken, we decided on a glass of white as my father was having fish and me red as I was eyeing up the steaks.

Dakota has really paid attention when creating their menu and selected a good cross section of dishes to suit all tastes. We were stuck on which starters to order as they all sounded so good. We decided to share our appetisers and chose the crab linguine (which comes in a main course option too) and the scollops.

As we tucked in I couldn’t help but appreciated the great atmosphere in the ornate dining room, truly a unique experience in leeds and a well needed change.

The price points on the menu are such great value for money also, to experience top quality dining like this I expected a huge hike in price but I was pleasantly surprised and very item on the menu is similar and competitive to any other eatery in leeds.

Both the Fish starters went down fantastic and I stole some of my dads white wine to go with them. As he had run dry we decided to order a bottle of their house white. It was so crisp and smooth and at £30 a bottle well worth a try.

For our main course decided on my ultimate favourite Fillet steak with peppercorn sauce cooked medium. My dad opted for the butter roasted chicken and we shared some green veg.

My steak was cooked to perfection and cut like butter, the chicken was tasty cooked in a thyme jus and on a bed of creamy potato. Both perfect sized portions and really filling. So filling in fact I opted for a coffee for dessert whilst my dad had carmaker chocolate slice which looked and smelt amazing.

The overall dining experience was great and one I highly recommend. It’s perfect for all occasions be it a date night with your partner or a family catch up like we did, the good food and service make it a pleasurable experience all round.

We said our goodbyes to all The friendly staff and retired back up to the bar for one last drink. As we chatted my dad and I both concluded that the Dakota bar and grill had become our new favourite. It ticks all the boxes and with the beautiful hotel rooms upstairs is a perfect city getaway for a couple or family. I am actually planning on a Valentine’s Day treat here on Feb.

Leeds has needed the Dakota or the last 10 years, its stunning all around.